


The Ride

by AnneLaurant



Category: Gaia Online
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 00:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6352249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnneLaurant/pseuds/AnneLaurant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The cowardly Cresento thinks about his relationship with Nicolae in this wild ride.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ride

**Author's Note:**

> Rewritten and retagged to be less cringey and to align with my current views.
> 
> **Note:** Post-Nyx fiasco, Cresento's POV

_clip clop clip clop clip clop clip clop_  
  
The sun was all the same, unforgiving and bright and hot. Cresento opened his eyes but quickly closed them back, accompanied with a groan. He tried to roll and turn away, when he remembered that he fell asleep sitting down. Another groan escaped his mouth.  
  
“Good mornin’, Sunshine!”  
  
A third groan came, and he slowly opened his eyes to look at the person who just spoke to him. A pair of pale blue irises and a wide smile greeted the elf’s vision. Cresento felt an arm - _Nicolae's_ arm - shift behind him, allowing him more space.  
  
“ _Nicolae_ …” he muttered, as he himself shifted in his seat, to a more comfortable position.  
  
“We’re gon’ get breakfast at the next town,” came the chirpy, bright voice from his companion, complete with a fist softly hitting his shoulder, “We’re gettin’ closer - look!”  
  
An arm pointed to the sky. Cresento couldn’t see much - he only noticed the sun’s flare. He recalled having worn a hooded cloak. He reached for the hood and adjusted it.  
  
“See the tower? That’s their very own! Looks rad, yeah?”  
  
_clip clop clip clop clip clop clip clop_  
  
…oh, right. The previous day, he just bailed out the debt of this very person to the Golden Mountain Casino, and the ex-crook retrieved his wagon and his precious horse, Capella. The draft mare was more than thankful to her master’s friend, and her lively trotting assured that she was happy to be back with Nicolae. On the other hand, Cresento still had his airship, the once-lovely and majestic Bifrost, being repaired, but he already wanted to travel again. Just a pleasure trip around, that is, to get a break from the shenanigans that just happened. His mother ensured they had enough food, supplies, and money to take with them, even.  
  
To be honest, a part of Cresento expected Nicolae would have just thanked him and rode off to the sunset with the black and white equine. A part of Cresento thought that the gesture was lovely, that the ex-crook wanted to stay next to him. It was no secret from Cresento that Nicolae was active, so to say, in _that_ department. It was no secret from Cresento, either, that Nicolae liked having freedom, and settling down would mean a little less freedom for himself.  
  
Wait, what was the relevance of those thought? Was Cresento being possessive of him? The elf was monogamous, but he should be happy that his partner found happiness in freedom.  
  
_clip clop clip clop clip clop clip clop_  
  
Partners, huh...  
  
Cresento continuously denied them being together. Gaians continuously assumed they were together, laughed behind his back, even made jokes about his own sex life. Nicolae didn't seem to take offense from Cresento trying to hide their relationship. 'Not everyone is comfortable about it,' the ex-crook explained, though Cresento could see the pain in those blue eyes.  
  
They were _absolutely_ partners, yes. In work. In alchemy. In life now, too?  
  
The elf thought about it. _I love Nicolae._ He could think about it. Could he say it? In the present day, under the blistering sun, Cresento looked into the bright fields. He opened his mouth. _I love Nicolae._ But, seeing someone standing among the fields, he closed his mouth.  
  
How he wished he had Nicolae's bravery.  
  
How he wished that he'd become someone notable after the gods fiasco. All it proved to him was that he was a coward.  
  
He didn't have the heart to pull the trigger on Gino. He didn't have the heart to actually kill someone. He couldn't do this dirty work. He'd surely have broken Momma's heart. He surely couldn't face her afterwards.  
  
And yet, Nicolae was brave.  
  
 _clip clop clip clop clip clop clip clop_  
  
So brave this man was, to try and stop him, to save Gino not once, but twice. The first one had been in Dref Dur. Nicolae had spotted the boy and left Cresento's side under the guise of a bathroom break. The ex-crook rescued the boy from those who would've mugged and beaten him, and when Cresento had looked, Gino had escaped and Nicolae feigned ignorance.  
  
And on the second time, Nicolae turned the gun towards the wall instead and prevented him - them from being branded as killers. Momma scolded both of them severely for getting themselves into shady business, but she was glad that Nicolae had been with her son. She was glad that her son could trust this man with his possessions, his home, and his own life.  
  
Nicolae would proudly tell things to both strangers and Momma. Cresento, on the other hand, still felt shy about it. But it was no longer just him now. It was them. They. Us. _We_. _He and I_. _I and he_. _Cresento and Nicolae, Nicolae and Cresento_.  
  
Yet all he managed to do was smile and nod politely, to redirect the conversation, to keep his mouth shut. He was doing injustice to the man he called his partner, the man he trusted with his ship, the man he trusted with his mother, the man he trusted himself and his weaknesses to. This man was his partner, his companion, the person who showed him how lonely it was, and the person who eased that loneliness, and to lose him was to lose light, warmth, happiness, life, love - _love_.  
  
He loved him. He loved Nicolae.  
  
 _clip clop clip clop clip clop clip clop_  
  
But, if he still wasn't courageous enough, then, maybe... it was fine to borrow a little bit of that courage, right?  
  
"Hey, you okay?"  
  
Nicolae's voice shook Cresento from his daydreams. The elf looked up his partner - his _lover_. "...yes. Just... just a little tired, and..."  
  
"Don't worry." The ex-crook tightened his hold on Cresento. "If you're still sleepy, go ahead an' sleep. I'll wake you up later."  
  
Cresento smiled at the kind gesture, but he shook his head. "...no, I'd like to borrow something of yours."  
  
"Hm? What do you need?"  
  
"Your courage."  
  
Nicolae stared at him, before bursting out to laughter.  
  
"Hey! That wasn't supposed to be funny!"  
  
"'m sorry, I didn't just, haha, expect it. But go ahead. Borrow as much courage as you'd like."  
  
Cresento shut his eyes and took hold of Nicolae's hand. The elf took a deep breath, preparing himself to say the words he wanted to say...  
  
 _clip clop clip clop clip clop clip clop_  
  
...later, Nicolae's red face made an appearance at a nearby restaurant to grab some gruel for the day. Meanwhile, Cresento was caressing Capella, who would've been laughing in place of her snorts. _What absolute dorks..._


End file.
